HC refuses to interfere in FIR against Honey Singh

Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday refused to interfere in FIR registered against Honey Singh for singing vulgar songs. The court observed that the rapper may resort to appropriate remedy if there is any.

It also disposed off the PIL filed against vulgar songs after it said that it is for state governments to decide whether they should set up some authority for screening the songs before they are released.

The Punjabi singer was booked at Nawanshahr police station under Section 294 (obscene acts and songs to the annoyance of others in public place) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in May this year after an NGO filed a PIL in the high court.

A Nawanshahr-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Human Empowerment League of Punjab (HELP), in its Public Interest Litigation had sought directions to set up an effective mechanism to curb the menace of lewd songs, following which the court had ordered Punjab government to book the rapper.

The petitioner had particularly mentioned Honey’s song Main hoon balatkari (I am a rapist), stating that it had hurt the sentiments of all civilised citizens of the country. But for promoting rape culture, the song had no message to convey, the petitioner had claimed.

The court had directed the Punjab government to take appropriate action against the singer for the vulgar song on May 14.